Wolf Path
by Saiyaness28
Summary: Mix together elements from beauty and the beast, little red riding hood, sleeping beauty, throw in vampires, and you get this story. When she was a child, Ada was saved by a wolf. Now he's back in his true form and he wants Ada's blood. Please R/R!
1. Chapter 1

Wolf Path

Chapter One: Little Girl

I first met him the winter of my sixth year.

I was always a mischievous child, always running off and getting myself into trouble. That day was no different from any other. I had wandered off again, into the Forbidden Forest. For as long as I can remember, the children of my village have been told horror stories about the place. It was a forest, dominated by evil, vile creatures. Creatures that would devour little girls whole, if the wolves didn't rip her apart first. Only one path cut through the dark, foreboding woods. The Wolf Path it was called, for the many wolf packs that called the Forbidden Forest home had learned to use it for their hunting, picking off any foolish traveler who dared enter their home, and following it back to the village, where they could eat their fill of small children, drunk men and weak women. It was because of this dreadful Wolf Path that a curse hung over the village. A night rarely passed without someone being taken by the wolves. Every day, the village church's bell would chime it's mournful song, as another body, a child, a wife, a father, was lowered down into their grave.

Rumor had it, that at the end of the Wolf Path, deep in the heart of the forest, lied a castle. Within this castle, it was said, that a handsome lord lay sleeping, unable to wake, neither dead nor living. I was fascinated by this part of the tale and often tried to brave the Wolf Path to find this undead prince.

It was on that winter day, so long ago, that I set out on just such an adventure. While my father was busy at market, I wandered to the outskirts of the village and began my journey down the long, lonely, Wolf Path. I hummed silly songs of youth, as I skipped merrily away from the safety of my home. All the while, I was unaware of the many bright eyes watching me from the darkness of the forest.

It soon grew dark, the late afternoon giving way to twilight. Tired and hungry, I stopped and took out the piece of bread I had stashed in my apron pocket during lunch, sat down on the dusty ground, and began to nibble away.

Suddenly, there was a growl. I whirled my head around and saw a large grey wolf approaching me. I yelped and jumped to my feet, my whole body trembling, my heart racing in fear. My heartbeat further increased as more and more wolves appeared, baring their sharp teeth at me.

I turned to run, but before I could make it more than a foot, one of the wolves grabbed a hold of my leg, digging it's canines into my ankle. I screamed and cried at the terrible pain as the wolf shook my tiny body savagely, trying to tear the limb away.

The other wolves drew in around me, enticed by the smell of blood. Just when I thought I was going to be killed, a lyrical howl sounded over the forest. The howl was a smooth, effortless sound. All the wolves seemed to stop to listen. Even the one biting my leg, stopped his assault. When the howl finally died, the one that had attacked me released his grip on my leg and turned his blood stained face towards the west like his kin.

My eyes followed theirs. Further up the path, a black wolf descended, golden eyes burning out of his skull, like the flames of lanterns. The other wolves backed away from him, as he drew closer. They eyed him with evident fear, their ears flattening against their heads and tails tucked between their legs. He stopped at my body, looked at me, then snapped at the others.

"How dare you disobey me!" A man's disembodied voice growled. "Get away from her! This girl is mine!"

Yelping in fear, the pack darted back into the forest, leaving the black wolf and I alone. I fidgeted, crying. The pain in my leg was excruciating.

The wolf drew closer and nuzzled his nose against my cheek, as if trying to soothe me.

"There there, little girl. I will not harm you. You have nothing to fear from me. I am not like those others." Said the disembodied voice. It was smooth and deep, so beautiful for a man's voice. He moved his head to where the jagged wound was. "I'm going to make you feel better." Said the voice and I felt a wet warmth on the wound. Startled, I looked towards him and saw that he was lapping at the wound, drinking the blood that poured from it and cleaning the jagged edges of it with his tongue. The pain began to ebb away. I stared in wonder as the gash slowly began to close before my eyes, until finally it disappeared completely.

When the wound was healed he lifted his mighty head and looked me in the eyes. I felt a chill run through me. His eyes were unearthly…unnaturally bright. "Stand now. There shouldn't be any pain." The voice reassured me.

My legs quivering beneath my weight, I stood up. I stared down at them in amazement. It was true. There was no more pain.

The wolf walked over to my side and looked back at me over his shoulder. "Get onto my back, little girl. I'll take you back to the village." The beautiful man's voice again reassured me.

Perhaps I was a stupid child…or maybe I just didn't know any better. Reckless as always, I climbed onto the black wolf's back and clutched tufts of his fur in my chubby hands.

With that, he took off, racing down the Wolf Path, back the way I had come and farther away from the magical prince I had sought to find. The wolf moved quickly, his feet seeming to fly over the ground. I can still remember the wind blowing my white gold curls back from my face, stinging my eyes.

It had taken me hours to get where I was on the path, but he got me back home in just a few moments. At the point where the village clearing gave way to the thick forest, he stopped. "You may get off now. You are home." Said the voice.

I slipped off his back and toddled a few steps towards the cottages of the village. I looked back at him and smiled. "Thank you." I said in my light, soprano voice.

The wolf nodded his head. "You are welcome, but please, little girl, don't go back up the path again. Promise me you won't." Pleaded the voice.

"I won't." I promised, my smile widening. I ran back to him and threw my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his thick fur as I hugged him. "Thank you for saving my life." I repeated. "You're a good dog."

"Dog?" The voice chuckled. "You are a strange child. You either have no sense or you have no fear. Calling any self respecting wolf a dog is a death wish you know. You are lucky I am _not_ a wolf."

I pulled away from him and looked at him questioningly. "You're not a wolf?" I asked.

"Wolves do not speak man, silly girl. I am something else entirely." He laughed, his wolf lips pealing away from his teeth. Apparently the voice I had been hearing this whole time had been his.

"What are you then?" I asked innocently.

Before he could answer, men from the village came running towards us. Bastian, the village wolf hunter, aimed his musket at him. "Get, wolf!" He and the other men screamed. He fired a few rounds at the ground at the wolf's feet. The wolf 's eyes met mine once more, then he darted back into the forest, disappearing into shadow.

Ten years passed. I grew up, went on with my life. I have to say that I never lost that mischievous side. However, I honored my promise of never entering the Wolf Path again. It wasn't that I didn't want to, though. Regardless of the attack, I still wanted to see if there really was a castle…if there really was a beautiful prince trapped inside. I wanted to be like the heroes in the fairy tales. I wanted to brave the wilderness and find him. I wanted to kiss him, to break the spell he must be under. Like any other girl, I wanted to live happily ever after.

One thing kept me from tempting my fate once more. The wolf guarded me. He was rarely seen by others, but he couldn't go unnoticed by me. I knew where to look. H liked to stick to the darkest areas of the forest, where his coat blended into the background. Whatever I was doing, If I looked towards the forest, I would see him there, walking along the edge, his golden eyes flashing brilliantly at me. Sometimes I would speak to him, but he never spoke back again. It made me worry. Maybe I had outgrown that wonderful magic.

In the winter of my sixteenth year, things changed. I was walking home from my friend Zita's funeral. She was the latest victim of the wolves. A snow storm was blowing through. The wind hurled snow into my face, freezing the flesh of my cheeks. My blue eyes shifted towards the forest. No yellow eyes looked back. I saw no moving shadow. The wolf wasn't there. "That's odd." I huffed, my breath escaping my lips in a puff of white. I shrugged my shoulders. "It's probably the storm. I don't blame him for wanting to stay home." Still I felt a bit disappointed. Though he'd never spoken to me since that day we first met, he'd become a constant companion. A friend.

I hurried inside my humble house and strained to shut the door against the onslaught of wind and snow. With some effort, I was finally able to latch it and turned towards the fire, eager to warm my hands.

I was surprised to see Bastian standing by it, speaking with my father. Bastian was an older man, tall and built like a stone wall. He was burly and rugged, not at all handsome. A thick, grey streaked beard obscured most of his face, blending in seamlessly with his messy and equally graying hair.

"Ah! Here you are, dear!" my father cooed, urging me to come closer. "We were just talking about you."

I blinked out of my stupor and walked hesitantly towards him. I didn't particularly care for Bastian. He had never harmed me or anything, and I didn't really mind his lacking beauty. However, I had noticed that he was beginning to look at me differently. His eyes, which were once protective were now possessive. It made me uneasy.

"Have you?" I inquired, fidgeting with the hood of my red cloak, nervously. I pulled it down from my head. I watched Bastian's eyes shift to study my every move. He admired my hair, which I now wore up, appreciatively.

Father smiled, his face lighting up. "Bastian has just asked for your hand in marriage!"

My eyes widened and I stared at father, aghast. I heard Bastian add in, "I'll be a good husband to you, Ada."

"Papa, may I have a word with you?" I asked, quickly taking him by the hand and leading him into my bedroom, before he could resist. "Have you lost your senses?" I demanded, as soon as I shut the door behind me.

"Bastian is a good man. He'll take care of you, provide for you." He tried to explain.

"He's three times my age!" I wailed. "Do you want your daughter to be widowed young?"

"He may be older, but…"

"He's only five years younger than you!" I reminded him.

The short old man, smiled at me and touched my cheek with a calloused hand. "He is a hard worker and a skilled hunter. I know he can protect you better than anyone else. I know that he's older than you would like, but he seems to care about you. Would being married to him really be that bad?"

I turned my face away from him stubbornly. "I don't need protecting."

"Yes, I know you're very brave and strong." He chuckled. "You're just like your mother. God rest her soul. But that wolf of yours. He still follows you, doesn't he? It frightens me."

"That wolf will never harm me." I assured him, adamant in my belief. He could have killed me a thousand times over already, but he hadn't.

"You may think that, but I don't have nearly as much faith in the beast. I'm so afraid that I'm going to loose you to the wolves, as I lost Maria." Tears welled up in his eyes. "If you are with Bastian, then I know you will be safe. Please, Ada, put your old man's mind at ease."

I could not refuse him after that. Tears had formed in my own eyes at the mention of my mother. I still had nightmares about the day she died and I remembered how devastated my father had been. My mother was his world. They were childhood sweethearts. They were inseparable, totally and completely in love. After she was killed, he just sat in his chair in front of a dead fire for weeks, staring blankly at nothing, only eating when he was forced to. I never wanted him to go through that heart break again. No matter what came of me.

I agreed to the marriage.

Like I usually do when I'm nervous, I started cooking up a storm while father and Bastian discussed my dowry. Since my father was not a particularly great merchant and had little fortune, it was decided that my bride price would be a meager one. I was sold for the small price of a few silver coins and two goats. I felt like a cow sent to market.

I was surprised that Bastian agreed to such a small amount of payment. He was usually so…frugal when it came to money. I'm sure he wanted more, but didn't wish to disrespect my father.

"Dinner is ready." I called to them, wiping my hands on my apron. I wanted to get them eating as soon as possible. I couldn't take much more of this wedding talk. The sooner they were stuffing their faces, the better.

We all sat down at the table and promptly began to eat. I nibbled at my bread, self-consciously, feeling Bastian's eyes trailing over my skin.

"This is delicious." Said father, shoveling a spoon full of stew into his mouth. "This one will fatten you up, I promise you that." He chuckled, elbowing Bastian in the side.

Bastian looked at me and I think he smiled, it was hard to tell because of the beard. "I'm sure she will." He said, with some amusement in his rugged voice. "Where did you get the rabbits for the stew?" He asked, slurping up another spoon full. "I haven't been able to hunt much, with this storm about."

"Her wolf friend brought them to her." Father blurted, laughing.

"Father!" I scolded.

"Her wolf friend?" Bastian asked, his thick eyebrows lifting in surprise.

"You remember the black wolf that followed her home from the Wolf Path when she was six?"

Bastian nodded. "Yes, damned thing sticks too close to the village. Ten years, and I still haven't been able to kill it. It avoids all my best traps. I've shot it…a few times, but it has yet to die."

I felt sick when he said this. I folded my hands in front of me and shut my eyes, willing myself not to wretch.

"It has a fondness for Ada, I think. It brings her presents. Chickens, small birds, rabbits, even a deer once or twice."

Bastian's eyes narrowed at me. "That is…strange. I've never heard of a wolf doing something like that. It sounds less like a wolf and more like a tame dog."

"He saved my life that day I went on the Wolf Path. I would have been eaten by the other wolves, if not for him. He's looked out for me ever since then. He makes sure that I am safe and that we don't go without. I know it's hard to believe, but he is a good wolf. We have nothing to fear from him. I would appreciate it if you did not hurt him." I said.

"Ada, I understand your trust in this beast, but we cannot forget that he's wild. If he thinks that you are vulnerable in any way, he'll turn on you in an instant."

"That's not true." I said, tightening my jaw. "He's been nothing but a guardian angel to me."

Bastian stroked his fingers through his beard, his expression very serious. "Have you forgotten about your friend Zita? Or your mother? Alisa? My sons?" He asked.

"Of course not." I answered, feeling a wave of pity crash over me for the hunter. He'd lost his previous wife and his twin sons to the wolves. His entire family…gone in a single, terrible night.

"I cannot assume that your wolf will be as kind to others as he has been to you. He's still a wolf and wolves need to feed. I've seen too much death in my years. This village has lost too many to the evil spawn of the Forbidden Forest. Guardian angel or no, if I feel that that wolf posses a threat to this village, I will kill it." He paused, watching me intently.

I felt my throat tighten, attempting to hold back the emotions rising in me. I wrung my fingers in my lap and down cast my eyes. "I…understand." I lied.

"I'm sorry, Ada, but that's just the way it has to be." He said, then went back to his stew.

There was a rap of knuckles on the door and we all turned our heads to gawk at it. "Are you expecting more company?" I asked father. He shook his head.

I rose from my chair and went and opened the door. There was a man in a black fur cloak there. His dark, shoulder length hair whipped around his head with the ferocity of the storm. I gawked at him, never having seen a more beautiful man in my entire life. He was tall and built with the lithe muscle of a young soldier. He had high cheek bones and a noble nose. His lips were somewhat thin and seemed to keep a smile in their corners. Most remarkable of all, was his eyes, which shone a amber gold. His lips stretched, flashing me a bright smile. "Hello, Little Girl." He greeted, a odd spark in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Invitation

"May I help you?" I asked the man, a little annoyed that he called me "little girl." If I was old enough to be married, I shouldn't be mistaken for a child.

He grinned charmingly, "You don't recognize me, do you? Ada?"

My brows furrowed. "Should I? Have we met before?" I asked, inwardly scouring my brain for any memories about this man. The only thing that struck a cord with me were his eyes and his voice, which sounded oddly familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before. It reminded me a lot of the wolf's voice, but that was absurd.

His eyes warmed as his smile reached them. He met my eyes through half closed eye lids. "No, I suppose you wouldn't remember me. I'm here to see your father."

"Of course." I said. "How rude of me, you must be freezing." I stepped to the side and held the door open for him. He didn't move to pass over the threshold. He just stood there, staring at me.

"Are you inviting me in?" He asked.

I eyed him, confused by the man's strangeness. "Um…yes." I answered.

He looked down at the floor, as if there was some sort of barrier between the snow covered ground he stood on and the warmth of the house. "Could you say "I invite you in"? Please? I know that sounds strange, but I …am not from around here. It is customary in my land. If you don't mind, say the words. I need to hear them before I enter your home."

I gave a bewildered look at my father and Bastian. They both looked just as confused as I. Pushing away the strangeness of the request, I turned back to the visitor. "You may come in."

He nodded in approval and with a slight hesitation, he stepped over the threshold. He paused for a breath after the first step, as if waiting for something to happen. When it didn't, he visibly relaxed and walked towards the dinner table.

"Welcome, sir!" Father greeted, showing his best merchant's charm. "For what do we owe this great honor?" He looked around the tall man at me. "Ada, take his cloak."

I hurried over silently. The man, politely bent his knees to allow me to reach the clasp of his cloak, as I reached to remove it from behind. "Thank you, Ada." He said, his hands, briefly grazing mine to brush the heavy fur cloak from his shoulders. I heard Bastian make a disapproving grumble.

"Ada, do you know this man?" Asked father, as I folded the man's cloak over my arm.

"No, sir." I shook my head, a few pale curls escaping my braided bun. "He says we've met before, but it must have been a very long time ago. I can't remember him."

The man looked over his shoulder and frowned at me, though his eyes held a twinkle of humor. "You wound me, dearest. I walked you home from Miss Katrina's just yesterday."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you talking about? I walked home alone yesterday."

A smirk threatened to take over his mouth. "You weren't completely alone, now were you?"

"Get to the point." Bastian snapped. "Why are you here, stranger? Who are you?" I could see irritation on his face. I knew rage wasn't very far behind. Bastian was known for his short fuse.

The stranger became more serious, though that ever present curve of his lips was still there. "My name is Wolfgang Fuerst." He said with a bow. "I am here to ask that Ada be sent to live with me."

I dropped Wolfgang's cloak in my surprise and quickly scrambled to save it from the floor. Two proposals in one night? My nerves could not endure much more of this!

Bastian's face was now thoroughly twisted with anger, every ounce of him showing his distaste. He crossed his arms and glared at my strange, younger suitor. "I'm afraid you've come too late, boy. Ada is already engaged to me. Her dowry has already been set."

"Is that so?" Wolfgang said, a look of indifference on his face. He turned his head and smiled teasingly at me. "You neglected to tell me that." He smirked.

"I don't know you!" I flustered. My face was so red and warm, I feared it would combust into flames.

"No matter." Wolfgang shrugged. "I'm not asking that she marry me."

"What are you suggesting?" Bastian demanded. He stood and held his giant hands in fists at his sides. I wondered if he'd actually hit him. He looked like he might. "Ada is not some whore to be used for your amusement." He growled. "If that's what you want, there's a brothel in the next village over."

I actually felt proud of Bastian for sticking up for me like that, however I wasn't sure if he was saying that out of his protective nature or jealousy.

"That is not what I was asking, either." Said Wolfgang.

Bastian reached out and grabbed Wolfgang by the collar of his coat. "Then what do you want from her?" He demanded.

Wolfgang's lips stretched into a wider smile than I ever thought humanly possible. The teeth that peeked between his lips looked sharper than they should have been, especially his canines. "I want her blood." He said. He laughed at our horrified expressions.

"You won't have her!" Bastian snarled. In one swift motion, he pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed it across the stranger's throat.

I let out a scream, as Wolfgang staggered backwards, grasping at his throat, blood spewing from the deep gash. "What have you done?" I screamed, punching and swatting at Bastian's broad chest. "You murderer! You've killed that man!"

Bastian gripped my shoulders, never tearing his eyes away from Wolfgang, who still stood, somehow. "This is no man. He's merely a beast, masquerading as one." He said, stepping in front of me and brandishing his dagger once more.

Wolfgang's laughter began again and I looked towards him in surprise.

Wolfgang's smile was a twisted leer. The flesh around his slit throat began to pulse and shift, the blood that had pooled on the floor and bathed the walls, seeped back towards him, his body absorbing it, like a cloth. "How very perceptive of you." He began, cackling lowly. "I didn't expect any less from you, hunter."

"Leave! Now, demon!" Bastian barked, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger.

"A demon?" He laughed, walking steadily towards us. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I'm no demon. And there is little that that little knife can do to the likes of me."

He stopped in front of us and Bastian dug his dagger into Wolfgang's chest, with a guttural grunt of effort. I cried out again, expecting Wolfgang to drop dead then and there, but the stabbing left him unaffected. He smiled at Bastian and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "What were you aiming for?" He asked. He swiftly ripped the dagger from his chest and tossed it onto the floor with the loud "clank" of metal on wood.

Bastian began to shake and backed away with me. "You're a ….you're a…." He gasped.

Wolfgang's eyes flared, their gold color intensifying, until they burned like flames. " The only thing standing between this village and complete slaughter." He answered. "Did you really think that all these deaths were the work of wolves? There are other forces at work here and I'm the only one who can really protect this village from them." He shifted his eyes to me. "However, I wish for payment. Give Ada to me and I will see to it that no one else dies by the hands of the forest creatures. Refuse and I'll leave you to your own devices."

"No!" Bastian growled, his hands balling into fists. He took a protective stance in front of me, shielding me from Wolfgang's gaze. "I won't let you take this girl! She is innocent and pure! I won't let you corrupt her! Take me if you want, but leave her alone!"

Wolfgang laughed at that. "My! How gallant of you! However, it's not your blood I want and no one else's will do. But I am not a selfish man. Give me one year." He shoved Bastian away , knocking his huge body easily to the floor. My body frozen in fear, he reached out and took my face in his hand. "I gave you back your life. I think you owe me at least that much. Don't you agree?"

He tilted his head to the side. I met his eyes as the truth crashed over me like a wave on the rocky shore. "Wolf?"

"You finally remember." He whispered.

"Get away from her!" Bastian hissed, scrambling to retake his place between Wolfgang and I.

Wolfgang merely chuckled at him, not at all threatened. "I'll give you three days to make up your mind. I'll return then for your answer." He said, taking his cloak back from me and heading back towards the door. He threw the cloak around his shoulders and opened the door. A whirlwind of snow and wind burst into the house, killing the fire in the hearth. "Oh and hunter…" He began, turning his head to glance back at Bastian. "Don't try anything foolish. You and I both know there's nothing you can do to stop me from obtaining her. You have no weapon that can kill me."

"No, but I know how to send you back to where you belong, creature." Bastian snarled.

Wolfgang slipped back out the door, shutting the door behind him. We all stared at it, none of us moving, all afraid that he would come back.

I fell to my knees, quivering. "I-I don't believe it." I stuttered. "He-that man-he's the wolf! The black wolf!"

Bastian's eyes went wide. Father knelt beside me to comfort me. "Are you sure?" They both asked at once.

"I am." I nodded. "I wasn't sure at first….but now I'm certain. It was him." I looked up at Bastian. "What does this mean? What is he?"

"I've heard stories, but I've never seen one until now." He said, his face strained with worry. A Blutsauger, a bloodsucker." He went over and picked up his dagger. He stared at it as it lay limply in his palm. "Those creatures carry many names and there are many legends surrounding them. In other countries, they are believed to be able to take different forms, such as a bat, a bird…or a wolf. One fact remains the same in most of the legends. They are corpses, that keep themselves tied to this mortal world by drinking the blood or devouring the bodies of the living." He met my eyes with his dark irises. "Ada must not be taken by the Blutsauger. If she is taken, he'll kill her or worse, turn her into one of the very monsters he has become."

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Fact: Roughly translated from German, Wolfgang Fuerst means Wolf Path Prince. <strong>

**I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please review if you want more!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Protection

I sat down my needlework with a heavy sigh. I couldn't concentrate on such menial tasks. Not today, anyway, not after what happened. My brain was still reeling from the realization that the wolf that had served as my guardian for most of my life was actually a evil spawned creature of the Forbidden Forest and that he wanted my blood. Of course the putrid stench of the garlic Bastian had smeared over the doors and windows didn't help matters.

I got up from my chair and walked a couple of paces to a window and peered out. The snow storm had passed during the night. Some sunlight now filtered through the spent clouds above, making the icy world glitter brilliantly. I watched as Bastian dragged the carcass of a freshly killed deer and three or four rabbits slung over his shoulder, dangling from a rope by their feet back to his house. He looked tired. He walked with his back slightly hunched against the weight of the deer as he took each and every purposeful step, his boots sinking shin deep in snow. I frowned as I watched him struggle onward to his empty little cottage at the farthest edge of the village. He had done a great deal for me since the previous night. He'd smeared the garlic all over the house, placed hawthorn branches around the outside of my house and even painted a third eye on my poor dog, Ginger's forehead. All of which he claimed would ward off the Blutsauger. I was a bit skeptical of these odd remedies but he said it was the best protection he could give me, short of driving a stake in Wolfgang's heart and stuffing garlic down his throat.

Even though I doubted the effectiveness of these things, I was grateful for the gesture and even more so for the fact that he guarded the house all night and then went strait back to hunting without getting even a wink of rest. I felt I owed him something, however small my token of appreciation might be. Since he seemed to have enjoyed my cooking, I gathered him up a lunch of bread, cheese, and a little dried venison. I packed the meal into a small basket and headed out the door.

I nibbled on my bottom lip as I made my way over to his home. My hands scrambled restlessly, to smooth down my skirts and tuck away the loose golden strands that had escaped my braid. I worried if the red ribbon I wore was too bold. For some reason I was far more aware of my looks now than I had been just yesterday, before I had become engaged. I'd never been in Bastian's house before. I was nervous. I wasn't even sure if this was entirely proper. However, I did want him to know how grateful I was.

When I came upon his front door, I knocked gently and waited for a moment. "Come in." Came his rough reply and I opened the door.

I sprang back with a gasp of horror, having opened the door to see him peeling the skin off of one of the rabbits like a woman peels a stocking from their leg. The counter he worked on was covered in the rabbit's blood. He whirled around, quickly, throwing his knife onto the counter and wiping his blood drenched hands on a rag. "Ada!" He gasped, stepping in front of the rabbit's skinned body to block my view. "I-I'm sorry. I thought you were the wood cutter's boy." He stuttered, his ruddy cheeks reddening further.

"I-It's okay." I stuttered, looking away from the bloody counter. I held up the basket. "I brought you some lunch."

Bastian's eyes widened. "You…brought me lunch?" He asked, bewildered.

"It's nothing extravagant, just some venison, bread, and some goat's cheese." I said, feeling my face flush.

"Thank you." He said. He looked over his shoulder at his small dinner table. "Please, won't you join me?"

"I really shouldn't." I began to protest.

He shook his head and tried to smile. His smile was crooked and lopsided, his teeth a bit too crowded. I wondered how often he actually did smile. It couldn't be very often. "I insist. Please, have a seat at the table while I clean up."

Reluctantly, I walked over to the table and sat the basket down. I removed my shawl and took my seat. I looked around the house. It was even smaller than our own. The roof was in terrible need of thatching. There was a bear pelt on the floor and a few rabbit, fox and wolf furs hung on the walls. I watched him bustle around the small house. He took the rabbits he was skinning out back to the barn where he had the deer. He washed the counter he'd been working on, then scrubbed his hands of the blood. When he was done, he got out a bottle of wine. "Would you like some?" He asked, holding up the half empty bottle.

"No thank you." I answered nervously flattening a crease on the skirt of my dark green dress. "I don't drink. Water will be fine."

"Of course." He said. He picked up a pitcher. "I have goat's milk."

"That would be nice. Thank you." I said with a friendly smile.

He poured me a cup of the rich milk, then filled his cup to the brink with dark red wine. We split the meal between us evenly and began to eat. After a few moments of only the sound of our teeth tearing into the meat and bread, he spoke up. "I…have been meaning to speak with you…about my proposal." He said, hesitantly. He sounded very nervous. "I realize that you…are not pleased with the arrangement."

"Not at all, sir." I lied, trying to be polite. "I'm happy with it."

"Do not humor me, Ada." He said lowly, peering into his cup as if it held visions of the future within it's blood red depths. "I'm not stupid…or blind. I am not young. I am not charming or handsome. I never have been." He looked up at me with a frown. "Why would someone as beautiful as you want to marry me?"

I felt my face begin to burn at a higher heat. No one had ever called me beautiful before. Pretty, yes, but never beautiful. "You…are…reliable." I stalled.

"Is that what your father told you?" He asked with a bitter smirk. "There's no need to lie to me, Ada. I know you'd rather marry anyone other than some old hunter. I may not know how to read or write, but I'm not a simpleton."

I sat quietly, contemplating his words. "I…must admit, sir. Your proposal surprised me greatly. I never expected…I didn't think that you…cared about me in…that way. How long have you…" I didn't finish that sentence, but he got the gist of what I was asking.

"Since last summer, I think." Began his answer. He didn't look at me. Instead, he stared sheepishly down at his plate, as he rolled a piece of cheese in his fingers. "Do you remember the day you and a couple of your friends went with me to check the traps I had set in the Grey Wood?"

I nodded. It was one of the very few times I had ever left the village. It was a wonderfully exciting day. I had a lot of fun, running around, searching for all of Bastian's cleverly hidden traps. The Grey Wood was the polar opposite of the Forbidden Forest. Light poured in through the canopy of trees above. It smelled of tree sap and water, instead of death. There were wolves, yes, but they were far more timid of people. The most frightening creature we saw that day was a female fox and her two tiny cubs as they walked along a stream. Still, Bastian had us sticking close to him, his bow or musket always at the ready.

"Your friends were all terrified. Zita squealed at the sight of the sprung traps, but you shrugged it away as if it were nothing for you. You skipped through that forest, singing songs, while they all trembled in fear." He chuckled, smiling to himself at the memory. "I think that was the day I really noticed how brave you are." He finally met my eyes with his darker ones. "I think that was the day it started."

"Why haven't you said anything about your feelings before?" I asked, squirming in embarrassment. I felt odd, talking about such things with him.

He knocked back his cup, drinking the last of his wine. "I was ashamed." He said, setting the cup to the side. "You're so much younger than me and you're my friend's daughter. I didn't think it proper. So I hid it as best I could."

I bit my lip as I wrung my fingers in my lap. "Then…why propose?" I asked timidly.

He looked away from me again, as he toyed with a gold ring on one of his large fingers. His wedding band? He still wore it? After eight years? "Your father told me he was going to arrange a marriage between you and Zita's brother, Boris." He scowled at the mere mention of the boy's name. "It made my blood boil."

I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling a little irritated by his words. "You asked for my hand because you didn't want anyone else to have me?"

He smiled a little at that. Oh that horrible, horrendous smile! Why did it make my cheeks burn so? "I suppose it was selfish of me. I must sound like a spoiled child to you."

"A little?" I huffed, crossing my arms angrily.

He laughed lowly at me. "Fine, I'm selfish. I never claimed not to be." His laugh fell away and his eyes became serious. "I just want you to know that I want to marry you because I care about you, not because of your beauty, though it may seems so."

"Well…thank you." I said as I got up. I stuck out my jaw stubbornly. "That puts me at ease. I should be going." I got my basket and shawl and headed towards the door.

"Ada." Bastian breathed, snatching my wrist before I could escape out the door. "You may not like me very much right now, but I hope that someday you may like me, at least a little bit." He whispered in my ear, his hot breath on my flesh sending chills down my spine. "All I ask is that you give me a chance."

He released my wrist and I opened the door. The cool air slapped against my face, instantly zapping away the flush from my face. "Thank you, for sharing your lunch with me." I bid at the doorstep.

"Thank you for bringing it for me." He smiled awfully. "By the way, have you given any thought to what the Blutsauger proposed?" He asked as I began to walk away.

I looked back at the scowl twisting his face. "I'm not sure what I will do quite yet. If I go, many lives may be saved, but on the other…I'm not sure what his plans for me are."

"Whatever you decide, I'll make sure that you are safe, Ada. I promise you." He said, nodding to his vow. There was no falsity in his expression, no lie in his eyes. I felt that he spoke the truth.

"Thank you, sir." I said, smiling slightly at him as I placed my shawl over my white gold hair.

"Bastian. Call me Bastian." He said, pleading roughly.

My smile grew ever so slightly. I was happy that he wanted me to call him by his name. If I was to be his wife someday, I wanted him to regard me as his equal, not a child. "Good day, Bastian." I said, watching him attempt a smile again, before hurrying away.

I was in no hurry to return to the stinky house, so I decided to take a walk around the perimeter of the village, along the edge of the Forbidden forest to the west and the Grey Wood to the east. It amazed me how two places so close together could be so vastly different. I tromped along, singing one of my trademark songs. It was a folk song about love, one of my favorites.

"Been visiting your lover, I see." Teased a low voice.

Knowing full well who it was, I turned my head to meet the golden eyes of the black wolf. He followed slowly at my pace. Even in wolf form, I could tell Wolfgang was snickering at me. "He is _not_ my lover." I huffed. White smoke escaped my lips and encircled my head.

"No, but he will be one day, if you become his wife." He said, laughter in his voice. "Isn't he a little…old for you? Not that I have room to talk. I'm pushing a hundred as it is."

"You're that old?" I gawked at him. The handsome youth I'd seen the night before didn't look any more than twenty five, if that. It was funny, knowing what he was, I should have been more frightened of him, but I wasn't. It felt no different from every other time we'd walked together.

"I am not mortal, Ada. What you saw last night is the mere shadow of what I was before I became what I am." He paused and sat down in the snow. I stopped and turned fully towards him, so that we could speak face to face. "I'm sorry if I frightened you last night. I was trying to get my point across and encourage the hunter not to interfere. Unfortunately, I don't think my scare tactic worked. It just helped to fan his fire. My poor wolves. He's been killing them left and right this morning."

"Your poor wolves?" I asked, my brows angling over my eyes. "Are they your pets or something? Are you the one sending them to kill my people?" I demanded, my hands fisting at my sides.

"Not…exactly." He said, tilting his head. "The wolves are more like…my subjects. They recognize me for what I am and fear me for the power I possess. They do as I ask, mostly. Sometimes they like to be stubborn. I don't have complete control over them, but I punish them when they do disobey me." His yellow eyes narrowed slightly. "On occasion, a few rogues have attacked your village, but not nearly as often as you believe. As I said last night, there's more going on here, than you realize. Not all of these killings are the work of my wolves. There are…other things in the forest as well."

"What kinds of things?" I asked.

His ears swiveled back, flattening against his head as a whine escaped him. "I'm not entirely sure." He said. "I haven't seen them, but I smell them. They smell of wolf and human blood, but neither one nor the other. I can sense the energy, the life force, of most creatures, but they are different. I only sense them on nights that the moon is full. They seem to vanish afterwards, like ghosts."

"You have no idea what they are?" I asked.

"None at all."

"What are you?" I inquired, beginning my walk once more, lest someone pass by and wonder what I was staring at. "Bastian calls you a Blutsauger. Is that really what you are?" I asked.

"That is another thing that I do not know. I am a blood drinker to be sure, so I suppose the term fits. However, I do not know exactly what I am, only that I exist."

I pondered that for a moment. What must it be like to be uncertain of your own identity?

"Have you decided if you will come to live with me yet?" He asked, trotting along side me.

"Not yet." I paused. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you want me to live with you?" I asked.

"It's your blood I want." He answered truthfully. "Ever since I cleaned your wound that day on the path, I've desired no other."

"What is so different about my blood?" I asked.

Wolfgang's yellow eyes gleamed at me and his wolf lips peeled away to show a white fanged smile. "I could tell, by the taste of your blood, how pure your heart is, how ignorant you are of the evils of this world. Such purity is rare, even in children."

I glared down at the wolf, feeling anger rise up in me. "So, Bastian was right about you. You do wish to corrupt my soul."

The wolf laughed, that deep, melodic laugh. "That may be so, but then does he not wish to corrupt you as well? You will be corrupted eventually. Whether it is by me or your soon to be husband has yet to be seen. One thing is for certain, once you know the sins of the flesh, you will loose your purity and your blood will never taste as sweet. That is why I want the time to savor it, before it is lost to me." The wolf's mouth stretched widely, flashing all his teeth. His eyes began to glow life fire. Right before my eyes, he faded out of existence.


End file.
